


More Than You Could Ever Know

by orphan_account



Series: Christmas 2015 Song Prompts [5]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Magic, Christmas Prompt, Christmas Prompts 2015, Immaturity, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-05-05 02:35:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5357747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Turns out, there's only one thing Slightly wants for Christmas this year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	More Than You Could Ever Know

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HotMolasses](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HotMolasses/gifts).



> **Prompt:** All I Want for Christmas Is You  & Slurly, by HotMolasses 
> 
> I wanted to do so much with this prompt, but alas, deadlines. I hope you enjoy what we've got. xD

He was  _trying to do better,_ he really was. He knew that it didn't help anything when his stomach would tighten around Curly and he'd do something dumb. Like pushing him or shoving his face into the snow.

For fuck's sake, Slightly was seventeen. You'd think he would have grown out of bullying and shoving to hide or express feelings for another boy. But every time he tried to do something nice, impulse grabbed him and he did something that made him look like a complete and utter dick.

Curly hadn't even looked at him ever since they got in from the snowball fight and stirred their packets of Swiss Miss into hot milk. There was still snow in his hair and Slightly wanted nothing more than to reach towards him and pull the snow out before it melted and  _apologize._

Arrested development squashed that thought soon as it began and, before he could either act on the sweet sentiment or do something brutish to counteract that, he seized a small handful of large puffy marshmallows. He spun around from Curly and made eye contact with his friend halfway across the room in the opposite direction.

"Oy, Fireflyer!" He called, jamming the marshmallows into his own mouth. " _Chubby Bunny."_

He lost that game in about two rounds. It was always a dumb idea to go against Fireflyer in anything that involved stuffing your face. Spitting out the hunk of full marshmallows into a napkin, Slightly saw Curly's nose curl at the reaction. Something prickled inside him. Who did that guy think he was anyway? He was just the kid who didn't know how to build a decent snowball fort…

Just the kid who held onto the hot mug with firm tension in his hands…

Just the kid who slouched over with a pink nose and lips that somehow hadn't gotten chapped from the cold…

The kid who Slightly, kind of, sort of, wanted to see smile and laugh and wrap his arms around.

It was hopeless, really. Slightly was hopeless.

But maybe worth one last ditch effort. Christmastime is supposed to be...special, he thought, maybe he'd get lucky and finally be able to do something nice for Curly for once. Maybe he'd actually be able to apologize.

Eventually, once everyone had their mug of cocoa, they divided around the run-down house for this reason or that, if they wanted to play a round on the Totally-Not-Stolen We-Don't-Even-Know-What-You're-Talking-About XBox or playing some drinking game for the classic stop-motion Christmas movies or even just hauling ass out of the kitchen before Peter or Felix got too frisky with the whipped cream topping left over from the cocoa.

Slightly hung back perhaps a moment more than he would have otherwise wanted to, just till Curly finished stirring in his cocoa packet and followed him out.

"Hey, Curly, wait up."

The boy in question stopped, brows knit down. He snapped, " _What?"_

"Erm,"  _Just say it, Langere. Say you're sorry. You don't have to say you love him. Just apologize for the Whiteout._ "You've got a stain...there."

Curly stared at him. "What are you, ten? What's your problem?"

"I just...I.."

" _What?"_

"You shoulda seen your face before you went face first in the snow!"

Curly growled and turned away. "You're a dick."

"No, wait!"

"Why should I?"

Slightly gnawed on the side of his mouth. "I'm…" He shrunk into himself and felt so much smaller than he thought he would when he whispered, "Sorry."

Curly blinked in surprise. "Oh. Well."

"Won't do it again."

"Good."

"You can do me after dinner if you-" Slightly stopped abruptly, turned white as the snow outside. "Not like that! I meant you can shove my face in the snow...if you want. Duh."

It didn't heal everything. The world didn't open up and Curly didn't launch into Slightly's arms and hold onto his face to cover him with kisses, but he did get a smile that made the cocoa sitting in Slightly's stomach lighter, warmer, like steam.

Curly hovered where he stood, apparently unsure whether he wanted to stay or go, shoulders moving, almost rolling. Slightly blinked over and over, just to make sure he wasn't staring. But all he said was "Okay."

Slightly smiled, even when Curly turned away, fingers starting to tingle. It was light and airy and, well, it wasn't much, but it was a start.

He remained in the doorway from the kitchen, watching Curly walk away, till he felt an elbow on his shoulder.

By his side, Fireflyer winked. "Y'know, if you're  _really really good_ for the rest of the year, maybe Santa will get you Curly for Christmas."

"Oh shut up." Slightly reached up and maneuvered FIreflyer's arm from on his shoulder to behind his back.

Despite the reaction, he couldn't help but look up across the room to watch Curly seated at the couch, pouring himself a line of shots as the opening credits of  _The Year Without A Santa Claus_ and he couldn't help but think, however fantastical that scenario was, it was really the only thing he wanted; to wake up on Christmas morning and see Curly outside his door, and to finally tell him and get over his childish impulses, and finally -  _finally_ \- show Curly everything he meant to Slightly.

That was really, when he got down to it, all he wanted that year.


End file.
